Chili Powder and the Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month
Cinthya Evelyn Torres Nuñez, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Spanish. She came from Harvard University to Spring Hill College in 2018.
I like reading about food and its history, from the origin of certain native ingredients, the culinary history of emblematic recipes to the role of restaurants in rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Food is a basic human need. Food is also an integral part of any culture, so much so that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recognized certain culinary traditions as part of its list of intangible cultural heritage. It is accurate to say that through food, one can learn a lot about a country’s history and identity. That is the case of “Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of America Cuisine” (2016) by historical gastronomist Sarah Lohman in which she recounts the culinary history of America and its food through eight flavors that changed the country’s palate, from black pepper and garlic to sriracha.
One of my favorite chapters goes into the history of chili powder and how it became a staple ingredient in many American households. Originally from traditional Mexican cuisine, chili peppers made the way to Texans’ dinner tables long before cookbooks mentioned this spice or the United States annexed Texas in 1845. After the war ended, tourism boomed in the region and San Antonio became a popular city, known for its chili con carne food stands and the “Chili Queens.” The Chili Queens were working-class women of Texan-Mexican origin that arrived at twilight to the plazas of San Antonio with their steaming pots of chili, fresh tamales and improvised tables and chairs, ready to feed soldiers, locals and tourists all night. Although it was the Chili Queens who introduced Americans to this mouth-watering stew, it would not be until 1896 that a German immigrant, William Gebhardt, came up with a recipe for chili powder that could be commercialized, spreading across the country a taste for spicy food.
I want to recall this anecdote to draw attention to the role and contributions of Hispanic peoples to the history and culture of the United States. September 15th marks the beginning of the National Hispanic Heritage Month, an annual celebration that pays tribute to the efforts of Hispanic Americans that, for centuries, have positively participated in and influenced American society. The observance began in 1968 when Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to declare Hispanic Heritage Week to recognize the histories, cultures and success of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Two decades later, President Ronald Reagan expanded this celebration to a month-long event.
These dates were chosen to commemorate pivotal events. The date of September 15th is significant because it marks the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The celebration also includes the independence of Mexico and Chile on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Additionally, October 12, or the second Monday of October for the United States, observes Columbus Day. In many countries of the Americas, the date is known as Día de la Raza — or Día de la Resistencia Indígena or Día de la Identidad y Diversidad Cultural, to observe the heritage, diversity and contributions of Latin America.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2018, the Hispanic population comprised 59.9 million or 18.3 percent of the nation’s total population, making people of Hispanic origin the largest ethnic or racial minority in the country. This figure represents a notable increase from the 2010 census that counted 50.5 million Hispanics. Florida, Texas and California account for the top three states with the largest Hispanic population. In Texas only, out of 28.7 million people, 10 million are of Hispanic origin.
Hispanics, who can be of any race, account for a group whose origins describe distinctive cultural, demographic and economic profiles. The Pew Research Center offers a few key facts on how the Hispanic population is changing: Mexican population, the nation’s largest Hispanic group with 62 percent of Latinos, had one of the lowest growth rates among the 15 origin groups since 2010. These origin groups are Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Spain and Venezuela. Conversely, Venezuelans in the U.S. increased by 76 percent to 421,000 in 2017, the fastest growth rate among Hispanics, followed by Dominicans and Guatemalans. Immigrants are a declining share of Latinos in the U.S. going down from 37 percent in 2010 to 33 percent in 2017 due to a slowing immigration from Latin America. About 79 percent of Latinos living in the country are U.S. citizens, many of whom have lived in the country for decades. The median age of U.S. Latinos was of 30 years in 2018, an important driver of demographic and economic growth. And Hispanics are projected to become the largest minority group in the 2020 electorate with just over 13 percent of eligible voters, up from nine percent in 2008 and seven percent in 2000.
In the state of Alabama, where I currently live, Hispanics account for just over 200,000 people out of a total population of over 4.5 million people. Although a relatively small community when compared to other cities, this number represents a significant growth of 33 percent in 2018 from 2008. Last year, when I relocated to Mobile, a beautiful coastal city named one of the best cities to live in the United States, the first thing I did (right after looking up Mobile on a map) was to find how many Hispanics lived in the city. Coming from Peru and having lived for over a decade in Boston, I got used to mingling with friends from different Spanish-speaking countries and visiting my local bodega.
In Mobile, as in the rest of the state, Hispanics are a growing community whose presence has stimulated the state’s economic growth, providing necessary agricultural labor and revitalizing small towns. Hispanics in Mobile have created a vibrant community around food, cultural activities, holiday festivals, Sunday service and local coalitions. Although there are no Peruvian restaurants in the area, shrimp and grits, stewed okra and pecan pralines have become my new favorite food. As Southern chef Michael Twitty notes, food is more than a dish, is a form to learn about one’s and other people’s heritage.
How does Hispanic Heritage Month look in 2019? Despite all the growth and positive gains from the last decades — such as having Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic and Latin Justice in the Supreme Court, economic inequality persists among Hispanic communities. So does access to education. And more recently, advocacy for equal treatment and representation.
Similar to other immigrant groups that came before, such as Irish, Italians, Japanese and Germans, Hispanics have become an integral part of the social fabric of the country. They have meaningfully contributed to the economic growth, cultural diversity and culinary history of the United States. Next time you eat a bowl of chili, don’t forget that chili is more than a regular meal. “A bowl of chili, drawn from Mexican heritage, influenced by the Germans and made famous in the state of Texas, is a true American dish,” Lohman reminds us.
